1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a variable magnification copying machine which senses a size of an original to set a magnification of a copying image.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a prior art copying machine of this type, a magnification of a copying image is set independently of a size of an original by manipulating a reduction key or an enlargement key. Thus, the size of the original is not directly related to a magnification function. In addition, the prior art copying machine is constructed to enlarge or reduce only originals of standard sizes. Thus, since the orientations and the sizes of the originals are restricted, the copying machine has only several magnification factors.
A copying machine which can sense the size of the original has been known. In such a machine, however, indexes such as A.sub.4, A.sub.3, B.sub.4 and B.sub.5 are marked to indicate the sizes of the original and an operator reads one of the indexes and depresses one of buttons A.sub.4, A.sub.3, . . . . In another type of copying machine, instead of the manipulation buttons, a plurality of microswitches are arranged around an original table to sense the size of the original stepwise (Japanese Patent Application No. 54-141682). This copying machine, however, cannot continuously sense the size of the original.